Planetarium

 

Invitation links to the planetarium's live online events are generally posted the Thursday before. These programs are only available LIVE on Friday evenings, and on the occasional Matinee dates (typically on Sundays). Clicking on the Zoom links at other times will not work.

Please scroll down beyond the calendar for notes on upcoming 8 p.m. programs

We also look forward to the expanded capabilities of the new planetarium and observatory SMC is building for opening in 2025.

Jim Mahon
Planetarium Lecturer

Weekly Night Sky Show

The Night Sky programs will last roughly 30 - 40 minutes, followed by a short question and answer period where guests can type questions into a chat box and we will answer as many questions as possible. There will be a short intermission at approximately 7:50 p.m. prior to the start of the Feature program at 8 p.m.

Feature Programs

Note that all 8 p.m. feature programs are preceded by the 7 p.m. “Night Sky” program described above.

Currently all presentations are online ONLY, with the exception of occasional observing programs. 

October 4: “Exploring Citizen Science” — Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent. Scientists have discovered a great new resource: You. Citizen science projects are opportunities for the public to contribute to active scientific research. Citizen scientists have been named in research papers, and citizen science projects have even been embedded in video games. From cataloging galaxies to sorting RNA, citizen science projects are a fun way to explore favorite STEM fields.

October 11: “Deep Space Network” — Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent. Ever wondered how NASA “talks” to spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter or Mars? NASA’s eyes on the sky — the Deep Space Network (DSN) — is the most sensitive communication system on Earth. Centered in Pasadena, the DSN is capable of maintaining 24-7 communication with spacecraft spread across the solar system, which makes the DSN the conduit through which almost all solar system science passes.

October 18: “Deep Sky Deep Dive: Understanding Exoplanets” — Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent. Planets beyond Earth’s solar system are a relatively new discovery. The first exoplanet was confirmed in 1992. Since then, with the help of missions like Kepler and TESS, more than 5,000 have been confirmed. But where are they? How do they form? And what can they teach about Earth and its solar system? [Please note: This show was rescheduled from June 28.]

October 25: “Deep Sky Deep Dive: Neutron Stars” — Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent. Pulsar, magnetar, stellar corpse: Neutron stars wear many faces. Tonight's show will explore what neutron stars are and reveal some of the different forms of this enigmatic deep sky object.